Hero
by WhiteDogEntity
Summary: Updated Itachi-Oneshot. Almost forgot: Disclaimer: I, of course, don't own Naruto


Hero

Itachi Uchiha always thought big of loyalty and duty. He had to. It were the values that determined his life. One day, he knew, they would determine his death. His Father valued Itachi for his Loyalty to the Clan. Sometimes he doubted his Father even loved- or even liked- him. He didn't think a Father who loved his Child would send it to the battlefield to fight other children. But when he asked his cousin Shisui about it, he just told him it was common in their Clan, as well as in any other Ninja- Clan. Itachi believed him. Shisui was older than him, he would know. He didn't dare to speak to his father about his doubts, though. Fugaku would just get angry.

**.**

By the time he was four Years old, during the third great Ninja War, he saw what his World was really like. Every Night, his Family would mourn another Family member. Itachi would not be allowed to cry. His father told him he would be a Shinobi, just like the relative who had died that day, and that Shinobi didn't cry. But when Itachi was alone at night, he did cry. For the one whose Eyes were forever closed and for his own Future, that he would never be able to choose.

**.**

When his little brother, Sasuke, was born, Itachi swore to himself to protect him, no matter what. When he told his mother about this oath she smiled at him, softly, just like she always did. Itachi at this time failed to notice the Sadness behind her smile.

**.**

.

**.**

When Itachi was asked to spy his Clan and his Village he felt his values shatter. The things he deemed true and important didn't seem real anymore. He felt like he was suffocating, but he couldn't let anyone know what was going on inside him. He tried to act like he normally did and surprisingly it worked quite well. Only his mother seemed to know something was wrong with him, just cast him sorrowful looks at the dinner table.

This evening, before he went to sleep, he tiptoed into his little brother's room and just listened to his regular breathing while he tried to make himself believe he was doing the right thing

**.**

Itachi soon became aware of Shisui spying on him. It hurt him to know his best Friend wouldn't take his side, but at the same time he was glad to know Shisui didn't lose his way.

**.**

When Shisui died, Itachi's Emotions had dulled down enough to feel no Pain. Mechanically, he cleaned the Body of one of the two Persons he loved most of any Evidence of himself ever being there. When he was done, he put the Body into the Naka no Kawa. It broke adrift while Itachi, still in a daze, went home like he did every other evening, greeted his mother and father, hugged his brother and went to sleep. When he had lied down that night, the Pain came down on him like a Rockfall. It came with the Realization that he was alone now. His best- and only true- Friend had died, leaving him alone to deal with a cold world full of death.

**.**

.

**.**

Every time Itachi's Parents sent him to see the Girl they chose to be his Girlfriend, he tried hard to figure out what she thought of their "Relationship". She was a simple Girl, so maybe, he thought, she was in love with being the wife of the next Head of the Clan. Maybe he wanted to be with him because he was strong. Or maybe she didn't want to. Maybe she was just as caught up in the Clan affairs as he was. But he didn't have the time to think about her. Compared to his Duty, she was nothing.

**.**

When Itachi got the Order to kill his Clan, his Family by both the Hokage and the masked man Tobi he did so without hesitating. He knew, as a Shinobi, and to keep his Village as peaceful as it could be, he had no other choice.

His father was angry at him when he died. He yelled and defended himself, tried to attack Itachi, but in the End, he had to give up, like the others. His Mother didn't even try to fight. She died with a smile. This Time, Itachi didn't fail to recognize the Sadness in her Face.

**.**

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**.**

Joining the Akatsuki, seemingly giving up the Loyalty to his Village, was harder than he thought. But the hardest thing clearly was seeing the hate in his little brother's Eyes when he left his old Life behind forever.

.

His Partner in the Organization, Kisame Hoshigaki, was a man unlike any other he had ever spent time with. He had known many cruel Shinobi, but they had never been as openly cruel as Kisame. Itachi knew he had to spend much time with the man and he knew he couldn't trust him. Keeping the mask of the emotionless Killer up was non- optional in his Situation. But sometimes, only sometimes, Itachi thought Kisame was able to get a Peek behind his Mask.

**.**

When he heard of his little Brother going to Orochimaru, he couldn't keep his tears in. Luckily, it rained that day, so Kisame couldn't distinguish his Tears from the Water running down his Face.

**.**

As he heard of his brother being alive, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. Happiness. Sasuke was alive and Itachi's death was near.

**.**

.

**.**

As the Fight with his little brother was about to end, he felt his death coming near at a fast rate. His Time was nearing its end and so he did the last thing he really wanted to do in this world. He finally was able to say goodbye to his last beloved Person in the World.

**.**

Death, in the End, almost felt like his mother's Embrace

**- '.' -**


End file.
